In the Shadow of Sins Past
by Supreme Shadow
Summary: Fleetway take Sonic Heroes. An almost forgotten enemy is stirring in the shadows. Power beyond imagining is about to unleashed. And only Sonic the Hedgehog can save the day,with a little help from his friends. But can he be trusted?Complete.
1. Cast and crew

**Then**

The room was dark. Empty. It sat there. Not asleep. Not waiting. It was not expecting anything. But it was aware. Perhaps the only word is…preparing. But for what?

Its sensors detected the wave before anyone else. It summoned their greatest tool with the ships computers. It survived the Chaos Wave. Noone else did.

That was three months ago…

**Now**

**An Unspecified Place**

It was dangerous. She knew it. But, that was always her problem. Never knew when to quit. Zachary's greatest weapon? How could she pass it up?

_Easily._ she thought, dodging yet **another **Guardian Droid. It glowed in the dark, giving her ample warning. No way there should be so many, or any, for that matter, Echidnan Guardian bots so far from the Island. But then again, Zachary always did have a trick or three up his sleeve.

The place was ancient, no doubt about it. Little pieces of moss grew here and there. The occasional scummy pond was a minor distraction. The drip of water on steel got grating after a while, but her boss was quite clear on what she had to do. Find Zachary's weapon, get it, get out. Easy as 1, 2, 3.

Finally, a door. And beyond, yet another dark, dingy room. A definite theme. But in the center, a pod of some sort. The weapon. It had to be.

_Well, that was easy. _Famous last words.

**Emerald Hill Zone**

Sonic sat on cool grass. It was so rare these days. The chance to just sit and relax. After everything the past few months, Shadow, Zachary, the Syndicate, and that whole thing with Vichama, he sometimes thought things were easier when Robotnik ruled the planet. Sometimes.

He lay back, closing his eyes. Today, at least, he was going to get a tan. Maybe a nice, cool Croke with chips. No maniacs, no monsters, no robots, no invading aliens. Today Mobius was the paradise Kintobor intended it to be.

**Hidden Palace Zone**

It was good. The Emeralds were humming, the shields were up, and Tikal was away, doing whatever it was she did. It wasn't a bad life, guarding the Emeralds. He just wished it was over. To finally walk free, without the burden of worrying about the Emeralds, and an Island ten thousand times older than him. Sometimes he wondered about that. Didn't matter. This was his job, his duty. His destiny?

_The Emeralds have caused so much destruction. Super Sonic alone almost destroyed the planet more than once. And what Shadow did…What if Zachary was right? I failed so many times… What gives me the right to continue this? Why were they created? I always thought they were sacred to my race, but now…too much is happening too fast. After Vichama…_

**BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP**

_What now?_

**Metropolis Zone**

It wasn't easy. It never was. But what could the Chaotix do? Wallow in self pity? Become another minority on a planet they'd never been on longer than ten minutes before? It was blindingly obvious, though. With Vectors brain, Mightys muscle and Espios experience, it was easy to establish themselves as detectives. Charmee was the problem. He always was.

Which is why Vector had sent him out to find a lost car. At least there was some peace with him gone. A little bit of Zeminen , the only good musician on this planet, an open window, bliss.

Until the Omni Viewer began acting weird. The image faded and strengthened, and finally changed completely. Vector didn't recognise the guy.

"Good morning. You are Vector of the Chaotix Crew, correct? Then you understand how difficult it is to hack this machine."

"Who are you?"

"I'm someone who needs assistance, Vector. Something very bad is happening. The world, probably more, is in danger. And you are the only ones who can save it."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Do you know where Mighty is?"

"West Metropolis, of course."

"No. Someone has taken him. My enemy. Your enemy."

"Where is he?" It was little more than a growl. Noone threatened his team.

"Mighty is on board one of Doctor Robotniks attack craft."

"Where?"

"I'm not sure. But there is a construction base off Green Beach Coast. The coordinates are probably there."

Vector cracked his knuckles. No choice, really. He called Espio and Charmee.

**Green Beach Zone**

Amy glanced at the paper again. And it still didn't make sense. Why would Sonic, of all people, kidnap a Chao from its garden? She had to talk to him, and he wasn't answering his communicator. Well, at least Cream was pleasant company. And the only person for miles was the fishing cat.

"Cream, are you sure it was Sonic?" she repeated for the thousandth time. As if she hadn't heard the answer a thousand times before. Sonic had attacked Cream, grabbed Cheese's brother Chocola, and vanished. What no one knew was why.

A sudden breeze ruffled her spikes, and Creams ears. An unusually strong breeze, mind you. And when she heard the yell, she knew it wasn't a breeze. Sonic was here. And the cat was flat on his back, with a huge fish in his paws.

"Hand it over!" Sonic demanded, his voice unnatural. His eyes flashed fire. The cat was scared, scrambling. The fish frantically crawled away. Too late. Sonic grabbed it and was gone, streaking into the forest.

By the time Amy and Cream got there, the cat was sitting up, still too stunned to talk. "Are you alright?!" Amy called, worried. What the hell was going on?! "Buddy…" was all the cat could say.

Amy reached for her crossbow, ready to head after Sonic (it wasn't Sonic! It couldn't be!), but Cream grabbed her arm. "I want to come too!"

"Cream, no. Sonic…if that was Sonic, I can't let anyone else get in the way."

Then she saw the look in Creams eyes. Heh, she'd used that look herself more than once. She relented. If it was one of her friends, she'd act just the same. The cat looked at them, uneasy.

"C'n I come? If Buddy's in trouble, I have to help him. Please?" Pleading.

What could she say? Well, "okay" would do. But…

"Lets go, then. We've got some friends to save."

**The Floating Island**

This was new. A huge metallic dragon flying just off the Island. Knuckles was prepared for most things, but this was definitely not one of them.

_Okay. Maybe twenty feet away. Could glide out there. No way back. Why isn't it doing anything? Just floating there. Almost like a…_

_…distraction._

_Uh oh._

Too late. The Island shook. And began to fall.

**Emerald Hill Zone**

The wave was big. Too big. Couldn't have been natural. Porkers instruments confirmed it.

Tails flew into his bi-plane. Nervous. But that was natural. Mystery thing crashes into the ocean? Okay. He could handle that. Wasn't the hero of the Nameless Zone for nothing.

Oh wait…

Better get some back-up. Just in case.

**An Unspecified Place**

This was unexpected. Shadow? But she saw him die. Correction. She watched as he burned out the last of his Chaos energy saving Robotnik from an exploding ship that she got left behind on.

At least he was un-active. The tube was cracked, true. In fact, it looked as old as this place did. Maybe older. Which made no sense.

_The Watcher is old. He has waited centuries. His duty will be completed. Death to all intruders._

She examined the tube. No connections anywhere. Which made no sense. It was clearly getting power from somewhere. And the stuff he was floating in was clear, like water. Maybe the power came from the liquid? But since Shadow survived on Chaos energy…

_The Watcher prepared his weapons. The intruder was completely unaware of his presence. Foolish. Very foolish._

And then, it happened. Shadow woke up.

And everything went red.

**The Ocean**

Sonic and Tails arrived just in time to see the last of the Island sink beneath the waves. Hundreds of feet below them, Knuckles clung to a floating tree, cursing himself.

"Can't you do anything without me looking over your shoulder, red?!"

_Oh great. Spikys here. Just what I need._

_That plus a plank with a nail in it._

The rope touched his shoulder. He grabbed it and began to climb.

**An Unspecified Place**

Shadow moved like lightning. The tube didn't even slow him down. As Rouge hit the floor, she realised she had given him no reason to like her. None at all.

But he wasn't concerned with her. He bounced off the walls, colliding solidly with some bizarre robot in the corner. The two wrestled for a moment, while she watched in awe.

_Think, Rouge, think! What would the House want you to do?_

She grabbed them, forced them apart. She needed answers before anything else.

The robot hit some wires in the corner. Shadow was too quick, though. He used it to bounce off another wall. He sure moved like the real Shadow…

"Enough!" she yelled. "Both of you, sit down!"

Shadow and the robot glared at her. Shadow, at least, was sullen. No change there.

"He started it." he muttered.

_What? Shadow never… This is getting too weird._

"I don't care. Do you even know why you're fighting?!"

"It is my duty, given to me by Doctor Zachary." the robot intoned. Dull, emotionless. Just the way Zach liked 'em.

"And how long ago was this?"

"During the Great War."

_Well, **that** makes sense. 8000 years? Not likely._

Shadow looked around.

"What is this place?" Unsure. Last time she saw him, he was like a rock. Never freaked or unnerved.

"Shadow, what do you remember?"

No reply.

She took his arm. "Shadow-"

"Is that my name?"

"You don't remember?" _Interesting._

_Cliché, but interesting._

"Shadow, what do you remember?"

_Fire? Pain? Super Sonic?_

"Nothing." Scared.

"I don't remember anything!"

She turned to the robot. She needed answers, and right now, he was the best bet.

"Robot! Where is Doctor Zachary?"

"Location unknown. Status unknown." Still emotionless.

"Do you have a name?"

"Designation: E-123 Omega. Created as the Ultimate Guardian of the treasures of the Echidna Empire."

"And you work for Zachary?"

"I protect the Echidna Empire. Thus, I guard the Ultimate Lifeform."

"Omega, its been 8,000 years since the Empire."

"Does not compute."

"The echidnas lost the war."

"Does not compute."

"Zachary knows where they are. The survivors, at least."

"Must protect Echidna race."

"Then you will come with us after Zachary."

"You seek to harm the Doctor?" Threatening. Its fingers flex. No doubt its got a cannon ready for her.

"He tried to steal the Emeralds. Betrayed the Empire. He's the enemy."

"Computing."

_What now?_

Shadow glanced at the pod that had contained him. The water pooled around his feet. Chaos energy sparked within it. It had almost been drained dry of energy. He chose his next words carefully.

"This Zachary, would he know who I am?"

"Probability-98 chance he can provide answers. Probability-73 Zachary has betrayed Empire."

"I will go with you to confront the Doctor."

Rouge smirked. It hasn't that hard after all.

"Ah yeah, baby. This makes us a team."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_The cast is assembled. The game begins…_


	2. Familiar Faces

**Green Beach Zone**

Amy watched the Island hit the water in the distance. The wave washed the beach clean of the shattered badniks.

_Why does that seem connected to this? If Sonic really has gone rogue…_

Big smashed the final badnik with his fishing rod. He seemed slow, but man was he strong. Maybe even a match for Knuckles. Not that Knuckles would like to hear that.

Cream flapped overhead, watching for incoming robots. The attack had been a surprise, even for her. Ever since Robotnik had gone insane, there had been no robots. Was he back?

The thought he wasn't was even worse. Who could pull it off? She ran through the list in her head. Techno. Her best friend? No way. Grimer? Likely suspect. But why? Grimer always marched to a tune. Someone had to be calling the shots.

A laser blast interrupted her train of thought. More Egg-robo's. Big was already slamming two of them. Cheese smashed a third. Her crossbow was already in her hand, a bolt flying through a fourth and fifth bot.

**Metropolis Zone**

The Tornado ducked between the spires of Metropolis easily, but the clouds of pollution were harder to avoid.

_This is why I hate Metropolis_ Sonic reflected, coughing up another lungful of smog. To his left, he saw the ruins of Citadel Robotnik, left as a monument of his historic victory over Robotnik, all those years ago. _Heh. Good times. Easier times. No psycho demons, no Ultimate Life forms, no Chaos…_

"Sonic! We're coming up on the Emeralds, fast!" Tails called back. Knuckles cracked his knuckles, hyping himself up. Noone took his Emeralds. Not without a fight.

"See you down below!" he yelled, leaping out of the plane, gliding to the target. Whoever it was didn't matter. There wasn't a lot he couldn't crack. And whatever he couldn't, well, he'd give it a run for its money.

While Tails manoeuvred the plane to a better position, Sonic prepared himself. _3, 2, 1. Now._ He leapt after Knuckles to the rooftop.

_Alright, losers. Game over._

**Emerald Hill Zone**

Shadow blinked in the unfamiliar light. Sunlight. He thought

_-me to di-_

_-urn them to-_

He shook his head. Don't fight it. Let it happen. Rouge watched him with interest. Omega was impassive, same as always.

_Nothing. Nothing clear, anyway. Zachary must know what happened. He has to. He created me, after all._ Shadow pushed on. The Emerald Hill. Familiar as well. Emerald. Emerald. Emeralll_llllll_

_Fire. Pain. Laughter? Can't hold on. Have to. My promise. Promise to a madman. Wish. Dearest wish_. **MASTER**.

Rouge saw him fall. Omega was the first to catch him. _Dammit. I need him alive for now. If Master Scholar finds out I let him die, I don't even want to think about it!_

"Shadow?"

"I'm okay, Omega. Just a little dizzy. This _is_ my first time seeing the sun."

"You sure you're okay?"

"I'm **fine**, Rouge. Now lets go, shall we? We've got an appointment with the Doctor."

He led the way, his sneakers firing up, scorching the grass beneath. _At least he leaves an easy trail to follow. _Rouge thought as she followed him.

Omega stayed silent. His thoughts were his own. H easily kept pace with Rouge, utterly focused on the horizon, never turning his head.

**Metropolis Zone**

Knuckles dropped onto the rooftop, ready to cause some pain. His first swing was grabbed by Espio. His second was dodged by Vector. Charmee was hit by Vectors tail.

"OWWWW!!! What'd 'you do that for?!" he protested as he hit the ground.

"Do what?" Vector asked guiltily. H just took his shot. Anyone else would've.

Knuckles looked at the Chaotix Crew in disbelief. _They_ had the Emeralds? Espio released his fist. "That how you greet friends in this dimension, huh?"

"Sorry. But I'm looking for the Emeralds. Tails said YOU have 'em."

Sonic hit the roof, all arrogant and cocky. Just like always. He glanced around, fists cocked and ready.

"Well? Can I hit something now?" he asked, looking around.

Vector laughed heartily. "You think we stole the Emeralds? That's probably just latent energy we picked up from the Omni-Viewer!" Charmee flew up to Tails, who had landed on a separate rooftop.

"Hi-ditty-ho, Tails. Long time no see." he screeched. Tails winced at the voice which could scratch glass.

"Hey, Charmee. How you doing?"

Sonic gestured to him. Impatient. Vector shifted uncomfortably. "Sonic, you think maybe-" he began.

"Sorry for the false alarm, guys. Catch ya later." Sonic yelled as he leapt off the roof, followed by Knuckles and Tails. Tails was just relieved to lose Charmee. Ever since they had taken down D. R. A. T. that time, he seemed to think they were best friends.

The Chaotix watched them go.

"Damn. We could have used their help." Espio mused.

"We're the yazzing Chaotix Crew, Espio. We don't need help!" Charmee yelped.

Vector led them to the air-bus drop point. "Well, how hard can it be? We get to Green Beach, blow some stuff up, get Mighty and get out. 1, 2, 3."

They hopped onto the bus. Fortunately, there's plenty of money in the detective biz, if you know how to use it.

**Green Beach Zone**

The badniks were gone. No major problem. Amy retrieved the last bolt from the Egg-robo. Cream flew high overhead. No way anyone could sneak up on them.

"Hey, I know you."

Of course, there's always the off-chance.

Amy turned. Above them, three new guys. A bat, a robot and Sonic? No. Totally different. Black and red. Not Sonic. Maybe he was the one who took the fish and Chocola. It was the bat who spoke for the group.

"You're Big, right? We met on the Floating Island." she went on. Big went stiff. His tail fluffed behind him.

"Big, who is-" Amy began.

"You took the Emeralds before!" Big shouted. "Maybe you took Buddy too!"

The bat laughed. The hedgehog tossed his head. Arrogant, like Sonic. The robot stayed the same. "Honey, even if I knew what Buddy was, I wouldn't admit to that."

"This is a waste of time, Rouge. Zachary is getting further away." the hedgehog said, getting irritated.

"Calm down, Shadow. Your Chaos Control just saved us a couple of hours. Can't we have a little fun?"

_Shadow? Oh no._

Amy was firing the arrow before she knew what was happening. The hedgehog (it couldn't be Shadow, Shadow died!) dodged easily. The bat laughed again.

"Watch it, girl. You have no idea what you're messing with." Shadow (?) growled.

"You blew up an entire universe! No way are you getting away this time!"

Shadow froze, almost terrified. _Its not true_ he thought. _She's lying._

Omega cocked his cannons. Cream dropped a rock on it, and the shot went wild. Rouge giggled, having the time of her life.

"Sorry kiddies. But we're in a different league than you." She tossed down several rings, which exploded. Big's fishing line intercepted the third, and he flung it back up at them. Rouge flew above the blast easily. Shadow bounced off a rock, landing mere feet away from Amy. Omega just dropped.

Amy fired again. Only Shadow wasn't there anymore. He was behind her, kicking her in the head.

"Still want to continue this, girl?"

Her crossbow answered for her. Shadow didn't even bother to dodge, he just caught it.

Rouge smacked Cream out of the air. As she fell, Big ran beneath to catch her. Omega's fist stopped him dead.

"Must terminate all opponents." he intoned, his leaden voice changing pitch slightly. Almost happy. This was what he was programmed for. Destruction.

Shadow flipped over Amy, getting the high ground. "You're fast, Shadow. But I've fought Super Sonic. I'm used to speed." The next bolt pierced his hand.

Shadow hit the ground, screaming. _So this is pain? I cannot-_His foot smashed into her jaw, knocking her flat. He grabbed Rouge and Omega, announcing "We are **outta** here!" They vanished in a flash of light, leaving three very confused warriors behind them.

_He's stronger than I thought. Faster. Like a supercharged Sonic. If he survived, what else is he mixed up in?_

**Metropolis Zone**

Sonic, Tails and Knuckles wandered the streets, looking for something, ANYthing, that would help. The Chaos radar was a bust. The Chaos energy in the air kept setting it off.

The giant tv overhead crackled into life, and showed a close up of a very red nostril.

"Grimer, you fool! Not that-" The angle adjusted. Red moustache. Bald. The military jacket. The Emeralds floating in a jar behind him.

_Oh God, no. Not him._ But it was. Robotnik, back from insanity.

"Ahem! Citizens of Metropolis! I'm sure you all remember me. I mean, who wasn't bombed by my badniks before, am I right? For those that don't, I am Ivo Robotnik, back to say…

You are all going to die. You think Chaos was bad? The Syndicate? HAH! Pain, suffering? Just words, now. But soon, they'll take on a very REAL meaning. My armies amass. This world will burn. And no one can stop me.

Make your peace. Its time to die."

The darkness… it wasn't clouds. It was badniks. A thousand strong, falling upon the city. And just Sonic, Tails and Knuckles to defend the city.

Sonic grinned. Just like old times.

"Alright, guys. Lets show these guys how we did it back in the day." He launched himself into the air, already rolling up.

Tails, likewise, took to the air. Leaving Knuckles. "Oh sure, pick on the guy who can't fly." He cracked his knuckles. "Its clobbering time!"

Sonic smashed from badnik to badnik. But there were so many. Always so many. Running for death, Kintobor had told him once. Running for death his whole life. Behind him, Tails hit any that he missed. With Knuckles down below, how could this strategy fail?

If a few thousand more dropped past him. Which they did. This was not good. Good as Knuckles was, he couldn't fight an army. Hell, the three of them together couldn't fight an army.

Knuckles drove his fist through another badnik. It didn't matter how many he smashed, they were just trying to overwhelm him with numbers. And they would, sooner or later. He was gonna die here, miles from home.

Sonic began to drop, angling his fall to smash into a few more badniks. It was pointless, though. Once he hit the ground, he was dead. _If you can hear me, now's a good time to-_

He blinked. And the world went red.

"**RRRRRAAAARRGGGGHH!!!!" **The scream heard round the world. The heat tore through the badniks, and smacked Tails out of the sky.

"**DESTROY!!!"** Super Sonic. Goody. Knuckles looked around. Supes didn't differentiate between friends and enemies. They were all just targets to him. Need an escape route, if he doesn't exhaust himself smashing badniks.

Tails hit the roof hard. The following badnik hit him harder. Super Sonic hit the ground, tossing the hundreds of badniks sky-high. Something exploded down below. Probably a gas line. Knuckles helped him extricate himself from the badniks wires.

"So, what now?" Knuckles inquired. There was another explosion below.

"Now, we let Sonic tire himself out, then track that signal Robotniks transmitting. If we find him, we find the Emeralds."

Down below, the fight was over. Wreckage of the badniks was strewn everywhere. And Sonic was on his knees in the middle of it all. The final badnik levered its blaster. Easy shot.

The last thing it saw was a fist with enlarged knuckles swinging towards its eyes.

Knuckles dusted his fist off, while Tails helped Sonic to his feet. Still shaky.

"Wooo, what a rush. I… wow, I did this?" Sonic remarked, noticing the destruction.

"Yeah, but you missed one. Don't bother to thank me, by the way." Knuckles tossed at him.

Tails was kneeling beneath the tv, hacking in, tracing the signal.

"Gotcha." he whispered. "Hey guys! I've got him! He's transmitting from about thirty miles away! Near where the Misery Zone was."

"Was?" Knuckles inquired.

"Yeah. There was… an incident a couple years ago. It got blown up." Sonic said, scuffing his foot, embarrassed. "But it was full of monsters, though."

**Green Beach Zone**

Last stop. Of course it was. If only they had half the cool stuff Equinox gave them to get around.

Didn't matter. They were near the base.

"VECTOR!"

He turned, saw Amy running to him, along with two new guys. Well, a new guy and new girl.

"Amy? What're you doing here?"

"We…uh, well, Sonic kidnapped a Chao, so I followed him here. What about you?"

"Someone kidnapped Mighty, and we're gonna get him back. Wanna tag along?"

Amy hesitated. _Is this where I tell you we met Shadow? The one who destroyed your home universe?_

"Can't hurt." _Coward._

**Frog Forest**

Shadow wrapped a bandage around his hand. It would heal within the hour. He didn't know how he knew, but he did.

Rouge wasn't happy. And she was democratic when she was angry. She made sure everyone was miserable. "WHAT possible reason was there in taking us out of there?!"

"My reason, Rouge. Not yours." He tried to ignore her. He failed.

"God!" She tossed her head angrily, then stormed off.

When she was safely out of earshot, she flipped up her communicator. "Sir? This is Rouge reporting."

"Well? What did you find?"

"I don't know, sir. I think… I think its Shadow."

"Impossible. Shadow is dead. You said so yourself."

"I know I did, sir. But… well, he's used Chaos Control, and… it seems like him."

"Continue your observation, Rouge. Inform me of anything that happens. Anything."

"Understood, sir."

She never saw Omega on the branch overhead, watching. _This is unfortunate. I had hoped that she was open to our cause, but…_

_The master must be informed._

To be continued...

To be continued...


	3. Robot Storm!

**Chap. 3**

**Robot Storm**

_Things grow interesting_ it reflected. _The seeds of discord have reaped wondrous fruits. Just as it was before. Make them question each other. Keep them diverted from the main picture, while we gather our forces, make plans._

Soon, though. Very, **very**, soon.

**Misery Zone**

Rock. As far as the eye could see. The occasional fire on what remained of what passed for lakes in this place, but besides that, that monster really did a number on the place. A castle loomed, distant and proud, against the star-spattered sky.

Sonic leaped from the bi-plane, eager. Knuckles followed close behind, nervous. Several bad experiences had left him paranoid around dead places. Tails came last, after the… unpleasant incident which saw him trapped here a few years back.

"See, Tails? I told you, there are no satanic rituals. There are no bones scattered on the dirt. Perfectly safe." Sonic called as he led the way. Tails rolled his eyes, and tried not to remember the time.

Knuckles glanced around, at the devastation. All that was left was the shadows of its previous… inhabitants? Denizens? Monsters? So this was how the war was won. Didn't matter. All that mattered was the Emeralds.

The castle loomed higher than ever, now. Clouds swirled around it.

**Frog Forest**

_Well, this sucks. I oughta demand a raise._Rouge muttered to herself. Shadow was wandering the forest, and Omega was… well, Omega was doing what he did. And watching her. Always watching her.

_I can see it all. All this forest. There is nothing here. No clues. No trace of the Doctor. Nothing._

The trees rippled in the breeze as Shadow watched and waited. For anything. Another fight, even. A few birds flew close by. The clouds swirled in the sky.

_Red. Fire. Pain. Death. Iblis. A purging fire from heaven. The power Chaos. Tears of the gods. The Dark Lord. Kintobor. Robotnik. Can't remember. Scared._

**Several months ago**

"Its time to die, ya striped freak!" the demon screeched. The Death Carrier was in flames around him. The plan had been dismantled by the hedgehog. The power of a god in little more than a child.

The comedy of it was lost to me as he pummelled me. By the time he reverted to his normal state, it was too late. The Doctor was in danger. A choice. My life, for his death. Or his life.

No way I was walking away. It had been too much. I turned to the Doctor, now docile. I made my choice.

_Darkne-_

**Frog Forest**

He awoke with a start. Just a dream. It had to be. Iblis? Robotnik? Just words. Nonsense. They didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Not anymore.

He turned his back on the view, and walked away.

**Green Beach Zone**

Espio's fist tore through the final robot. It sparked defiantly, then went dim.

"Bit more resistance than we thought." he muttered. _This stinks. Robotnik's gone off the deep end. He doesn't matter anymore. Who the hell is pulling the strings here?_

Amy and Vector led the way into the facility. Hundreds of ships floated overhead, still being fueled. If they were going to take the new player down, they had to be quick. In minutes, the ships would be gone, with Mighty and their answers.

"Just like old times, huh, Amy? Another nut with some robots, same as always." Vector observed. "Robotnik, Sidewinder,-"

"Sonic never mentioned Sidewinder used robots."

"Nobody hears about the good stuff." Espio said darkly. "It destroyed a good stretch of New Tek before we took it down."

"It was so cool!" Charmee enthused, swooping overhead. "It was twenty feet tall, all covered in lasers and cannons!" Then he saw Espio's look. "Until it smashed up houses and stuff."

Amy reached for an air-lift. Not that far now. They climbed in, and ascended to the ships level.

**Misery Zone**

The door loomed overhead. A huge, impenetrable oak job. A demon of some sort lurked above the door.

"Well, egg-head's here alright. This is definitely his style." Sonic said, as he tore through the door without a second thought. Right into the path of a badnik army.

"Welcome, dear friends! I had hoped it would be you who would witness my glorious return!" boomed Robotnik, from all around. A screen dropped into view. It was him, alright. Same snot-filled nose, same unwashed moustache.

"Okay, Egg breath. How'd you manage it? Last time I saw you, you were-" Sonic snapped.

"A minor problem, I assure you, dear Sonic. Tails. And Knuckles, as well? My word, the gangs all here. See any good robots lately, Knuckles?"

"Where are the Emeralds?!"

"Safe, my friends. Several hundred miles away, though. I hope you don't mind if I look after them in your absence? Good." the former dictator oozed.

Behind them, the army waited. Hundreds of them, of varying sizes. About seventy were over twenty foot high. Waiting for a sign. They loved father. They would die for him. They would kill for him.

"Now, I just built a new badnik army. Would you mind, awfully, if I asked you to test them for me? Capital!" The screen took off, cackling.

The army charged.

**Frog Forest**

Chaos reigned. Thousands of robots descended in a black cloud. No way anything could survive.

But they fought. Shadow tore through the ground troops. Omega took out the long distance fighters, and Rouge took the aerial opponenets. It didn't matter. They could not surrender.

Shadow fought for answers. Rouge fought to avoid the wrath of Scholar. Omega fought because he was programmed to.

Too many. Always too many. Shadow felt his skin begin to burn. To blister. _No. I've been hit. I'm going to-_

BOOM.

**Somewhere Else**

_Now that is interesting. _It observed its enemies. Knuckles was doomed. Shadow was providing an interesting light show.

Amy and Chaotix had come close, though. Too close. Perhaps it was time to step in.

No. Too risky. They had shown their resilience the last time they had fought. Let the robots deal with them. Except Sonic. He had to suffer for what he had done.

**Sky Chase Zone**

The fleet of attack craft was vast. How long had this been planned? Was Robotnik's madness a trick, while he made his plans, undisturbed? Insane. This was all so well planned…

"Amy, perhaps we should split up here. We can do more damage that way." Vector suggested.

"See you on the other side, then." she laughed as she led Big and Cream away.

Cream carried them to the nearest ship. Turrets swivelled into position at their approach. Amy grabbed her crossbow and fired first. The first three turrets exploded. The fourth got lucky. Big dropped like a rock.

"BIG!" Cream screamed.

_No. He's got nothing to do with this. He just wanted to get his friend back. I have to save him._ Amy thought as she fired a grappling bolt at Big. Thank God cats have such good reflexes. He snatched it out of mid-air and dangled like a worm on a line. The last turret swivelled once more, in his direction.

**Frog Forest**

"Its over. The robots were either destroyed or… irrelevant. Shadow… did something. Overloaded their circuits with chaos energy. Did a number on me and Omega." Rouge reported.

"Interesting. This warrants further investigation. Continue your observation, Rouge."

"Of course, Master Scholar."

She snapped her comm off and turned, straight into Omega.

"Who were you talking to?" the robot demanded.

"No one, Omega. Shadow must have rattled your auditory uni-"

"All is in perfect order. I am well. Who were you speaking to?"

Rouge looked around, desperately. There had to be some way out of this. Start inventing, number one.

"Well, my little sister is-"

Shadow interrupted, dropping in between them. "We need to go back to Green Beach again. The Doctor is there."

"And you know this how?" Rouge asked, cocking an eyebrow. She was glad of the distraction.

"When I destroyed those robots, I saw… him. It. Something. Air ships. Fire and destruction. And he was at the center of it all."

Omega walked towards Shadow. "She is not to be trusted. She is plotting behind our backs." he said. He didn't even bother lowering his voice. "We can find the Doctor ourselves. We don't need her."

Rouge, irritated, grabbed Omega and spun him around. "Now you listen to me, bolt-brain! You need me. I know how Zachary works, how he thinks. You don't. I can sneak into places, I know my way around this planet. And Zachary trusts me. Can you say that?"

Shadow shoved them apart. "This is a waste of time. I can find him myself." He walked away, leaving them still arguing.

"Shadow, wait! You can't just walk in. You have to be careful. I can help you." Rouge gushed, holding his arm. "And, we need Omega. We need the information he's got."

Shadow just looked at her.

"Whatever. Chaos Control."

**Misery Zone**

It was hopeless. Thousands of badniks against a hedgehog, echidna and fox? No question. Tails was the first to go. One of the giants netted him. Knuckles got taken by one of the flying bots. Sonic was left, and he wasn't the hero of Mobius for nothing.

Spin attack three. Ricochet off the giant. Through the next five flying bots. Into the next giant. Onto the ground, through another two. Then up, into a net. An electrified one. The last thing he saw was the giant's hammer. Then darkness.

**Sky Chase Zone**

The first clue that they were expected was the army of robots. The second was Robotnik in his battle armour.

"It is pointless to stand against me, Chaotix! This is my world, not yours!" he screamed at them, as he unloaded his artillery at them. Vector ignored him, while Charmee dragged Espio out of the way.

"Go for the knees!" Espio shouted over the noise. He kicked a missile away. "Would you get the hell out of his range, Charmee?!"

Vector clamped his jaws around the suits legs, and held tight. No way was he going to lose to a giant omelette. Espio dropped onto Robotnik's face, and commenced punching him in the face, good and hard.

"You dare touch me? You _DARE_ touch the ruler of Mobius?!" Robotnik screeched, jabbing a button. An electrical current ran through Vector, knocking him away. The pilot then grabbed a laser pistol and shot Espio at point blank range. The suits massive fist swatted Charmee out of the air.

"**ROBOTNIK CONQUERS!"**

**Green Beach Zone**

The three ran towards the docking area, following the sounds of destruction. The last ship was pulling away from the fueling area as they approached. Fuel spilled across the platform before them.

"Damn! The slightest spark will set that off!" Rouge groaned. "We can't get close enough."

Shadow glared at her, and looked pointedly at her wings. "You have wings. Fly us over. Or I could Chaos Control us there. There are plenty of ways we could get there."

"That's why the master sent us, Shad. We're supposed to keep you here until he's ready to deal with you."

The owner of the voice stepped out from behind some barrels. Tall, mechanoid, and pig-like, it wore a leather jacket and sported a laser rifle on its wrist. Beside it were a similar turtle and alligator.

"And who are you supposed to be? The welcoming committee?" Shadow demanded, hiding his surprise.

"We are the representatives of He Who Lives. We are the elite. We are destruction." the alligator intoned.

"We are the pure, we will replace the flesh. Metal and oil will triumph over the flesh and blood." the turtle continued.

"But most importantly, we're the one's who're gonna kill you." the pig finished, raising its rifle.

**Sky Chase Zone**

Amy stared at the suit Robotnik wore. The Egg Emperor, he called it. And now he was giving the standard evil genius speech. Blah blah blah power blah blah blah ruler of Mobius etc. It got boring after a while, since they tend to be the same.

The power of the thing though. No way was this new. He'd been working on it for years, she'd bet. It had already put Big through a wall. She was just overhead, holding tight to Cream.

"Amy, my dear, it is, as always, a joy to see you. But I'm afraid I'm rather busy at the moment. If you could just surrender, it would make things so much easier for ALL concerned." he roared.

She dropped, and fired three bolts tore through his protective dome, giving her a clear shot at him. She levelled her bow, easy shot. Anyone could make it.

Until Robotnik grabbed Cream out of the air, and held a laser to her head. "Your choice, hero. Surrender, or I'll kill her. I have come too far to be denied now." he growled.

The crossbow dropped to the ground. No choice at all, really. No choice at all. The light hit her dead on.

**Somewhere Else**

_It is done. Only Shadow and his allies remain free, now. It is almost time for the end-game._ it thought. _Only one thing remains for them to do. Then, I can kill them all. I've done it before, and I'll do it again._

And it laughed, long and hard, into the darkness.


	4. The Beginning of the End

**Death Carrier**

Sonic awoke to a face full of oil. He'd had worse wake-ups, but not many. The oil had pooled beneath a shattered android, dripping from between red bristles.

"A Robotnik robot?" he asked the darkness. Beside him, Knuckles stirred, his chains clanking. Tails was behind him, still out like a light. "What happened? Where are we?" He felt an odd tightness around his neck.

"Ah, good. I was wondering when you'd wake up, Spike ball. Welcome to my personal attack craft. The all new, all powerful Death Carrier." boomed Robotnik through the silence. "I really should thank you for destroying the last one. It was almost obsolete by the time I got to use it. This one's got all knids of new tricks." The giggle scraped across Sonic's ears.

Knuckles strained against his bonds. No good. He couldn't position himself properly. All he could do was dangle there, powerless. "You twisted freak. When we get out of here-"

"Nonononononono, dear friends. As honoured guests, I simply can't allow you to just leave! I had a timetable of plans and various shenanigans! First, breakfast-" A robot splashed water into the cell "followed by your exercise." Three powerfully built robot's entered the cell. "And please, be polite, Sonic. Otherwise, and I say this with regret, I shall be forced to kill you. You notice the little collar around your neck? That is a bomb. And I have no qualms in using it."

Sonic allowed himself to be led from the cell, quietly planning his escape. Knuckles was next, finally followed by the still woozy Tails.

**Green Beach Zone**

Omega's fist tore through the barrel the aliigator threw. Fuel spilled everywhere, splashing Shadow and Rouge. The pig levelled his laser-rifle: "See your weakness. A purging fire you cannot survive."

Shadow kicking it in the face, sending its shot wild, and knocking the alligator off the platform. "Don't let them ignite the fuel!"

The alligator righted itself, and jets flared. It flew at Rouge, hard and fast. She tossed an exploding ring at it, which took its face off with a pop. It slammed into the support, making the whole thing shudder.

The pig finally got a clear shot, sparking the fuel. The flames roared along the platform, faster than Omega computed to be possible. It reversed the valves on its arms, blowing the fuel away. Too late, the damage was done. The frail platform began to break apart beneath their feet.

**Death Carrier**

As Amy and Vector were led by Robotnik, they spoke in whispers. To the left, more badniks were churned out. Beneath them, thousands, maybe even millions, of badniks waited for the signal. The others came behind them, in a massive transport.

"Oh, wow. How many are there? This must have been planned for _years_. We have to warn the people." Amy gasped. One of the badniks noticed her, and tilted a metallic eyebrow at her with a leer.

"Amy, m'dear, its too late. This glorious army will sweep this planet clean of all resistance. Not even Sonic could stop us. Trust me." Robotnik laughed at her.

_Us?_ Vector thought. He tested his shackles for the twelfth time, in case they had weakened in the past few seconds.

Behind them, Espio rattled the bars of the transport. No give, anywhere in the entire box. Cream and Cheese were curled up in the cornor, crying softly. Charmee was tied up with an apple in his mouth. The cat had given up, just sitting there blankly. Espio ratled the bars a last time, then sat down. No point in wasting energy. He looked over at the cat again, noticing just how burly he was. "Hey, Big, wasn't it?"

WHAM.

**Sky Chase Zone**

Rouge gave a last look back at the fire, while Shadow and Omega got a better grip. The modifications the House had given her worked. She could probably carry way more than just those two. Above them, clouds were gathering around the fleet. "Storm's coming!" she called to the other two. Shadow nodded in acknowledgement. Below them, one of the robots, superheated beyond safe levels, exploded. The last of the platform finally gave way, crushing the badniks beneath.

"No turning back now, Rouge. You still sure you want to do this?" Shadow asked. Rouge just nodded. Above, she could just about make out a giant robot leading some prisoners across a bridge. Thankfully, those implants super-charged her senses as well as physical strength. She angled towards the robot, while Shadow and Omega twisted in the wind.

**Somewhere Else**

_It is almost time._ It flexed its fingers. Electricty crackled across its nails._ Amazing. I have mastery over time and space, yet it still moves so quickly. No matter. The storm of change has begun. All the pieces are assembled. Just one, final step for them to take._

**Death Carrier**

The combined force of Espio and Big tilted the transport onto the nearest badniks. It smashed open, releasing the prisoners. Robotnik spun in his cockpit, too late. Cheese smashed through Amy's and Vector's chains. Cream took to the air, dropping one badnik onto another. Amy snatched her crossbow from one of the surviving badniks, firing a bolt through an aerial badnik.

Above them, Rouge set Shadow and Omega down. "Want to help out?" she inquired. Shadow shook his head. "We're here to find Zachary. Lets move."

On the other side of the carrier, Sonic fingered the collar gingerly as the first drops of rain began to fall. Before him, Robotnik posed in his newest weapon, the Egg Emperor. Knuckles rattled his chains hopelessly."Do you like it? I designed it specifically to combat you three, you know. You should be honoured!" the nutter ranted from the cockpit. Sonic rolled his eyes, still playing with the collar.

_Just a few more seconds._

As Robotnik struck what he considered a dramatic pose, the collar snapped, under high speed vibrations. Knuckles's chains went next, followed by the weights around Tails, courtesy of a spin attack.Knuckles hefted the weights thoughtfully, then casually smashed them into the mecha, toppling it. The front of the mecha crumpled around the weights. Needless to say, the Doctor didn't take it well.

"ALRIGHT! I'm going to rip out your colon!" he sreamed, waving a laser wildly. The Mecha brandished its sword, dropping its shield. He was answered by a blue blur ripping dozen of wires from the exposed interior. Knuckles pounded at the knees, while Tails drew Robotnik's fire.

Omega watched the battle rage from a nearby tower. _Perhaps I should intervene. No. I have my mission. Find the Doctor. Maintain Shadow's trust. Let the scan's kill each other. _He continued on his way, tracking the life signs emanating from a nearby prison block. He signalled Shadow and Rouge to follow him.

**Prison Block**

The door opened, protesting every inch of the way. Shadow stepped in, followed by Rouge. Omega stayed behind to stand guard. There was only one cell in use, containing two prisoners, at the far end of the room. The biggest surprise was who was in there.

**Death Carrier**

The Egg Emperor was on the run. The combined power of Chaotix and Amy and co. meant the mecha became little more than a punching bag. Oil dripped from numerous cracks and holes. Robotnik was ranting, as usual. "I cannot be defeated! I am Robotnik! I never lose!"

Sonic, Knuckles and Tails hit the Emperor at once, toppling it once and for all. As they watched it spark and twitch, they felt the ground begin to shake beneath them, as a second Egg Emperor bore down on them at speed, only to trip over the toppled mecha and fall with the finality of a coffin nail.

The two Robotnik's crawled from the wreckage, defiant. "You think this matters?! You are like ants to us!" Sonic just smiled, knowing that, at long last, he had won. There was no escape this time, whichever of them was the real one.

Until they began to melt and drip. The silvery liquid pooled around their feet. "You'll never win, spike ball! We… cannot… be…stopped…. err… error!" They spluttered into silence, and finally dissolved completely.

**Prison Block**

Shadow stared in amazement. "You're not Zachary. Who are you?!" The green, lizardy one looked up at Shadow, terrified. He threw himself across the huge, bulbous human beside him.

"Don't think you can intimidate me with that. I know Shadow's dead." he wheezed. "You know the Doctor is in no condition for another interrogation." The other just drooled, ripping at a Sonic teddy bear.

"Who… who are you? How do you know who I am?" Shadow asked, shaken. He grabbed the bars. "Answer me!"

"Don't insult my intelligence." the lizard replied. Shadow, out of patience, reached through the bars and dragged him by his lab coat. "Grimer! Grimer Wormtongue!"

"Where is Doctor Zachary?" Shadow growled, releasing Grimer. The other just stayed on the floor, ripping the doll's eyes out. Shadow stared at him, fascinated._ So familiar…_

"Zachary?" Here, Grimer looked confused. "I haven't seen him since the last Death Carrier was destroyed. I assumed he was dead."

Ice slipped down Shadow's throat. If he was dead, then everything died with him. "No. It can't be." He rattled the bars. "He can't be dead!"

"Zac was a sneaky one. He might have escaped." Rouge had been quiet so long, he'd forgotten she was there. Grimer, just noticing her, gave a start. "We should try asking whoever's pulling the strings around here."

"Hah! Like he'll tell you!" Grimer scoffed. He sat by the Doctor. "He took us hostage weeks ago. Been interrogating us, torturing us. He wants to know why he's still alive. And ways he can become even more powerful. You're better off just leaving." He looked at Shadow pleadingly. "Please, take us with you."

Shadow looked at the drooling madman, still feeling those memories that were not memories, and made his choice.

**Death Carrier**

As they watched the Robotnik's crumple and melt, the ship began to transform. The bridge came level with them, while the badnik army beneath them was pushed to the back. The wings altered position, angling upwards to cut down on wind resistance. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled.

"Well done, dear friends. I was wondering when you'd all get here. And I assure you, my pawns-" Robotnik began, stepping out of the bridge.

"You're not Robotnik." Sonic shouted, angry. "You were good, though. Had me convinced, at least. But you made one major mistake. You let us live. The real Robotnik wouldn't keep prisoners, except me, and maybe Knuckles. He'd want me and him to suffer humiliation, but the rest? No. He'd kill 'em first chance he got.

Which means you're someone impersonating the big man. So, lets review. First off, you hate us. Second, you built a badnik army. Third, you made us doubt each other, by impersonating me and Robotnik. Fourth, you know us, in a way not many do. Fears, hopes, doubts, all that.

Suspects. Brutus. He's dead, but weirder things have happened. Badnik army, thinks like egg breath, he would have similar insights on us. But he never met Knuckles, or Chaotix. And why would he impersonate his biggest enemy? Why not just appear publicly to cause fear and panic?

Zachary? No. He mainly focuses on Knuckles. Again, why impersonate someone else? And the badniks. So that's a no.

Sidewinder? Not a hope. That plus, he's dead, as far as I know.

The Plax? Shape shifters. Hate me. But they hate Robotnik, and why all the cloak and dagger?

The Drakon? Definitely got the resources for this, and the motive. But they've got a few million sentinels waiting to attack, so no use for badniks, and they wouldn't bother posing as Robotnik.

Honestly, I'm stumped. Just who, or what, are you?"

"Robotnik" smirked, a bitter, condescending smirk. He stood straight up, and stared Sonic in the eye. "You've really forgotten, haven't you? Perhaps I should be proud that my disguise is so impenetrable. But I am angered you neglected me in your little piece of detective work." He watched them all.

"You, all of you, are here because of what you have done. You" he snarled at Knuckles "fouled up our plans almost beyond hope. And you," to the Chaotix "stood against us every time, even when we killed you." He turned to Big, Tails, and Cream. "You are innocents in all this. But you allied yourselves with them. For that, there can be no mercy." He pointed to Amy. "You killed one of us in the tunnels!"

_No. Oh no. It can__'__t be. _Sonic thought frantically. _Not-_

"Beginning to realise, Sonic? Its about time! You know who I am now. You think you know what I have done, what I am capable of. You haven't even begun. Before this is over, you will know the true meaning of pain and fear." His face began to melt as he reverted to his true form. Lightning flashed, illuminating some of the more disgusting aspects of his transformation. His body shrunk, his head lengthened and split. His arms became blockier, as his jacket became a cape. "Viva la Raza." he gasped before his lips became useless. "Viva… la… METALLIX!"

Sonic looked at the thing before him, and knew this wasn't a fake, or a bluff, or one of Robotnik's tricks. And he had never been so scared in his life.


	5. Viva la Metallix!

**Death Carrier**

Lightning illuminated the scene. Sonic stared at his most feared enemy, whom he thought dead for so long. But this one was… different. More like Shadow, even down to the stripes on his spikes. The only thing that could make this worse was if Shadow showed up.

The thing's cape swirled in the wind. "What do you think? I am the end product of a thousand years of work. Stronger, faster, and just plain better than any other Metallix who came before me." It stretched its clawed hand, flexed its fingers. "And of course, I made some modifications myself." Its hand began to melt. "The power of the Chaos creature, for one. I had to take that one's power. How many can say they humiliated you publicly?"

Sonic, still watching Metallix, began to whisper back. "Knuckles, Espio, left and right. Everyone else, dog pile on my signal. Maybe if we rush it, we can-"

"You can do nothing, Sonic, but fight and die." it laughed, as lightning struck.

**Prison Block**

"You can't be serious, Shadow. You want to fight whoever's behind this?" Rouge demanded. She rolled her eyes. "Standard Sonic behaviour. I told Zac-" Too late she realised her slip. Shadow slammed her against the cell.

"Zac? You told Zac what? Just who are you?!" Shadow screamed in her face. "Tell me!" She cowered, terrified at the power in his arms.

"That's Rouge. Zachary insisted she assist us, back when we were in the Syndicate." Grimer supplied. "Don't you remember?" Off Shadow's blank look, he went on. "Interesting. Amnesia, or you're not the same Shadow."

Shadow, still holding tight to Rouge, faced Grimer properly. "When this is over, you're telling me everything. Now who is she?"

"She's a thief. We used her to steal the Chaos Emeralds, and then she betrayed us. She ran off back to her masters." Grimer explained. "We never did find out who they were, incidentally."

"Master Scholar!" she screamed, seeing Shadow's eyes. "But something's happened there. I speak to someone else on the comm now." He searched her roughly until he held the comm.

"This is the comm?" he asked as he smashed it to pieces. He shoved her into an empty cell, then turned to Grimer. "Make sure she doesn't go anywhere. I'll be back for you. I swear." As he left, he felt the oddest sense of déjà vu. _I swear_ echoed in his ears.

_Just who am I?_

**Death Carrier**

The Metallix stood amidst the flames from the lightning with no unease. "This is nothing, Sonic. This is NOTHING!" it raved. "I am a god now! Time and space are mine to control!"

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

And it was gone. _But, that's Shadow's power. It has his power too? How the hell am I supposed to fight this?_ Sonic thought, frantically. He felt something brush his arm. Amy, reminding him of something. He wasn't alone. None of them were. Metallix was. He grinned that famous grin that could appear in the darkest hours.

"Alright guys. Who wants to kick this thing back to the trash heap?" he asked, looking up at the tower where it now stood. At the chorus of agreement, he folded his arms. "Hear that, Met? We're gonna stop you, like we did last time. And the time before that, and every time we fought you."

Metallix laughed again, that annoying drainpipe sound. "With what? You needed the power Chaos to defeat the most powerful of the Brotherhood prior to me. And it seems you've lost the Emeralds. What a pity." It launched itself at them, still laughing.

Shadow and Omega watched the fight from a nearby tower. "Omega, the Chaos Emeralds, whatever they are, can you track them?"

"Affirmative. I am capable of tracking Emeralds in the event it is necessary to eject them. They are within walking distance. On the ships bridge." the robot droned.

"Well then, lets get this show on the road."

**Prison Block**

"Well, how's the Drakon Empire these days?" Grimer enquired, leering at her. Behind him, that bloated idiot just drooled. _Ick._ she thought, turning away.

"-uge."

Just on the edge of hearing. Her comm. It was receiving a transmission. "ouge SKESSH Shad SKESSH eded. Orders from SKESSH om. Doom SKEESH oming. Prepare SKEESH"

Silence. The silence of the tomb.

"Oh no. Who's coming?" she gasped. "They can't know I was caught!" She began to rattle the bars, ("Screw it.") before placing a ring bomb below the lock. "Cover your ears."

**Bridge**

The seven Emeralds hung suspended in mid-air. The air crackled with power. Shadow blinked, shaking his head. He could have sworn he was somewhere else. No. He hadn't left. Zachary and Vichama were still arguing, of course. The Doctor was in the corner, ripping at his doll. And Rouge, of course, was sitting in her chair by the window, smirking to herself.

It had gone well. All seven Emeralds, courtesy of Rouge. He had dealt with Sonic personally. Nothing could stand in their way.

Nothing.

"Shadow?"

He blinked again. It was gone, like it never happened. The Emeralds had been tossed into the corner, carelessly. Whatever had done this, it didn't give a damn about the power of the Emeralds. And that scared Shadow, for some reason. He reached for them, as they crackled and sparked.

**Death Carrier**

They couldn't touch it. Couldn't even get near it. Faster even than Sonic. Stronger than anything they'd fought before. And all the time it kept laughing.

"You don't get it! I have your data! There is nothing you an do to stop me!" it kept screeching.

Sonic picked himself up. Fires raged across the entire ship. Lightning struck indiscriminately. _Heh. What a way to go, though._ he thought, spin attacking Metallix again. Or tried to, anyway. It just grabbed him out of mid-air.

"You are not even worth killing."

It just dropped him. Nothing mattered. Not anymore. It had power beyond anything its brothers had imagined. A simple gesture, and it swapped places with Amy Rose, just as Knuckles took a swing at it. A flaming tornado dealt with Tails and Charmee.

The ship shook as a double explosion ripped through the bridge and cells.

"NO!" it screamed, an agonized sound from a techno hell. It could only watch as a flaming star rocketed towards it. _It cannot be._

Shadow walked slowly towards it. He radiated power. His fur fluctuated between black and silver. "You will stop this." It was not an order. It was a statement. Perhaps it had underestimated the power of the Emeralds, after all.

_No. No way. He's dead. HE'S DEAD!_ The thought screamed through Charmee's head. The one who had killed so many still lived. The monster who had killed his family had been given a reprieve. He struggled to his feet, only for Metallix to blast him back down into unconsciousness.

Sonic took a quick glance to see who's still standing. Himself, of course, Knuckles, the giant cat, and Espio. Against two of the biggest guns they'd ever fought. Who were now super charged.

_Oy. And I thought today would be boring._


	6. What I'm Made Of

**Death Carrier**

_Not fair. Not fair. Shadow was supposed to be mine!_ Metallix thought as the supercharged hedgehog blocked its first punch, and its second. And its third. The Emeralds were far more powerful than he had thought.

This was proven when Shadow landed a ringing right cross to its head case, making a nasty looking crack. This was all that Sonic needed. "Pile on!" he cried, leaping onto the pyschotic robot. Knuckles, Big and Vector dragged it to its knees while Shadow watched, almost uncaringly. "Hold him!"

Metallix's fist tightened. _Now. _"CHAOS BLAST!" The force knocked everything away, and blew a substantial chunk of the ship off. It floated above the wreckage, ablaze. "Fools! You are nothing to me! NOTHING! Shadow merely stayed your execution!"

Sonic watched the wreckage fall. Saw his friends unconscious. Saw the source of it all. Watched it float and gibber. He dragged himself painfully to his feet. "You keep saying that." He grabbed a handy iron spike. We can't hurt you, you're unstoppable. All that." He leapt at Metallix. "Is it us you're trying to convince? Or yourself?" he screamed, plunging the spike deep into its head.

Metallix hit hard. The spike drove through into the ship's hull. Sonic was hysterical, beyond control. "We beat you! We beat Chaos! Robotnik! Brutus! Shadow! All of them! We beat them, we killed you!" Each word was punctuated by a punch. "And we'll beat them again! And again! You'll never hurt anyone ever again!" His spikes began to bend. His colour lightened. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" He was cut off by a lightning bolt, hitting them both.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!" A mad laugh. A monster's laugh. "KILL!" What was left of Metallix tried to crawl away. Too late. Super Sonic grabbed it, dragged it back. Began to tear it to shreds. All anyone could do was watch as the demon was unleashed.

It was over in moments. Sonic stood amongst the pieces of Metallix, panting. "Its… over." he gasped. He kicked its head away, blinking away tears. He faced Shadow, the only one left standing. The one he felt so sorry for. "I can't let you leave, you know."

"Who are you to say what I can and can't do?" Shadow demanded, energy crackling from him. "You can barely stand after that!"

"Doesn't matter. You have to be…" Whatever Shadow had to be was interrupted by a SLOORP as Metallix liquefied and reforming mere feet away.

"I told you I can't be defeated." it stated, sending Sonic flying. "And now I have the data of Super Sonic." it continued, strolling towards Shadow. "And what could stand against that?"

It blocked Shadow's right cross. And his axe kick. And suddenly it was behind him, punching him in the back of the head. "Time and space are mine to command. You cannot even touch me."

**Bridge**

Omega's systems finally came back online. The blast of Chaos Energy was beyond imagining. The Emeralds were still sparking in the corner. It ran a few thousand strategies through its circuits until it found the best plan. "Must destroy Metallix." it grated, gathering the Emeralds.

**Death Carrier**

The last of Shadow's Chaos Energy was running out. He could feel his skin hardening, beginning to crumble. Maybe minutes before he died. Probably less. And Metallix was stronger than ever. The other hedgehog was worse than useless. Barely conscious five feet away.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this. You were to be at my side, Shadow, as I began my rule. Then that little bat interfered, because of Scholar." It picked him up. "If you see her before you die, tell her I am not without allies amongst the Drakon. Things have changed up there recently." It slammed him into the hard metal, then tossed him in the general direction of the cells. "Tell her!" It continued over to the blue hedgehog.

"Shadow." It was meant as a whisper, but robots can't. Omega helped him to his feet. "I have a plan." It began to explain.

Meanwhile, Metallix kicked Sonic in the side, breaking a few ribs. "And so it ends, Sonic. Just as it was meant to. Steel and oil to replace flesh and blood." Sonic was able to spit at it. "A final act of defiance?" it laughed. "Take the small victories, Sonic. You die free. Your friends, not so much. I've got plans, you see." It began to beat him.

It failed to notice Shadow scooting around in a circle, placing the Emeralds around it. _That's it, you twisted freak. Hope you're ready for this. _He spun into Metallix, surprising it sufficiently to drop Sonic. Shadow drop kicked him out of the circle. "Now, Omega!" The Master Emerald slammed into the metal between the two as they wrestled.

"CHAOS….

… BLAST"

There was no sound. There was no time.


	7. There are no endings, only beginnings

**Death Carrier**

There was nothing left. Metallix was gone, vaporised. Omega took one look and ran. A toppling tower would have stopped anyone who saw him. _It is done._

Shadow stuck around long enough for Sonic to see he was still alive. _How did I-? What am-? _He took one last look around, then-

"Chaos Control." He sounded distracted. But it felt wrong, somehow. Something was… _pulling_ him.

Even if Sonic could have followed him, he couldn't have fought him. That was what he kept repeating to himself as he pulled his friends together on the remains of the falling Carrier. Few were conscious. Most of them were bleeding. _So much blood._ _How the hell do we get out of here?!_

The last of the robots were leaping over the side, taking their chances. Some activated jet packs, but the majority just dropped.

"Mighty." It was little more than a gasp from Espio. "You have to save Mighty. Somewhere…on this thing…"

With one last look at them, Sonic tore across the ship at supersonic speed. Above him, Rouge activated her wrist comm. "Omni-Viewer online." she whispered, then grabbed a handy thermal and glided to safety.

**Prison Block**

Grimer cowered in the corner. Robotnik slept on peacefully, oblivious. Opposite them, another cell door hung open. _Whoever was in there is long gone._ Sonic realised, as he smashed through the occupied cell. "Go! Get out of here!" he roared, still going.

**Laboratory**

There he was. In some kind of tube, doped to the eyes. He barely recognised Sonic when he was released. Didn't matter. Back through the cells, through the maze of corridors back to the

**Death Carrier**

rest of them. Well, at least they could die together. Sonic sat down, calm at last. _What a way to go, though. The ultimate blaze of glory._

_Why is it always war ships I make crash? Not regular ships, or cars, but air ships. I probably should have made, like, a boat crash, to keep it fresh._ His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of the Omni Viewer.

"Quickly, Sonic!"

Fire gutted the once-proud ship. It warped and convulsed, and finally exploded.

**Emerald Hill Zone**

Tails sat on a hilltop, watching the Island rise into the air once more. Porker hadn't been happy at the loss of the Emeralds, but it gave them a chance to talk. Tails hadn't even realised how much he'd missed Porker.

_Funny. Porker quit because of the Metallix, years ago. A month of torture. But with their pirated Omni-Viewer, that month had become years. Centuries, maybe._

He blinked the thought away, took to the air, and headed for Sonic, on the beach below.

**Metropolis Zone**

Chaotix and Sonic hadn't parted amicably. Sonic had let Shadow escape, again. And their families went unavenged. But at least they knew he was out there. Vector had set up a monitor for him. Sooner or later, they'd get him.

Till then, there were cases to examine, experiments to perform and bad guys to beat.

There always was.

**Frog Forest**

"Release me, you fool!" Buddy shrieked. Big watched his line arc across the water. "Return me to the robot! He has a mind I could use!"

"Sorry, Buddy. The hedgehog said he got blowed up." Big replied. His stomach grumbled. "Hungry." Buddy rolled his eyes in frustration.

"I was a Drakon Prosectuer. AND a god." he muttered, settling down to sleep the depression away.

**Emerald Hill Zone**

With a grin, Sonic watched the Island return to the heavens. Not a bad days work, in the end. Metallix was gone, the Emeralds were recovered, his name was cleared (not that he even knew it needed it) and the kidnapped had been rescued. They also captured Robotnik and Grimer. Maybe now, it could be over.

"SONIC!" echoed down from overhead. Tails landed hard on the sand. Sonic let him catch his breath, at ease. There was plenty of time. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of Amy and Cream playing with the Chao.

**Misery Zone**

"It has begun. My allies draw nearer. Within weeks, we can begin." Metallix said, lounging on its throne. "Using a Chaos explosion to mask the Omni-Viewer snatching me away was a stroke of genius. No doubt they have their suspicions, but nothing more." It stood up, looking to its guards. The finest robots it had ever constructed. The first robots it had ever constructed, in a distant time on a planet far away. "And now we can work safely, under cover of my death. And it is courtesy of you, my loyal servant."

Omega bowed humbly. "My thanks, Master."

**Somewhere Else**

Darkness. A strong smell was the only clue he had. Ammonia and sweat. And blood. Lots of blood. The smell of long dead things.

"Where am I?" he mumbled. His tongue felt like sandpaper. Wires snaked from every part of his body.

"Welcome home, Shadow." Something moved around the room, a shadow in the darkness. "I imagine you don't know who I am. Not to worry, my child. Before long, you'll know everything you'll ever need."

Electricity began to course through the wires. And all Shadow could do was scream.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**_Never the end_**


End file.
